1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of bedding. More particularly, the invention pertains to a personal support apparatus that cradles the head and body for comfortably supporting a person sleeping in a seated position, such as a passenger in a motor vehicle, airplane, train, or even seated upright in bed, and aids in keeping the wearer from falling to one side or another while sleeping.
2. Description of Related Art
Many times the passenger in a vehicle, such as an automobile, airplane, or train, for example, will fall asleep or want to fall asleep. One problem is that seats generally are not designed for sleeping. Most passengers who sleep in automobiles, airplanes, or trains, are seated in an upright position or a reclined seated position. However, these positions do not lend themselves to sleeping on the side or the stomach, leaving sleeping on the back as the optimal choice. While sleeping in a seat, the passenger's body is unsupported and thus tends to slump to one side.
Many devices that are intended to aid a passenger's comfort, while sleeping in an upright seated position, rely on the assumption that the passenger can find a comfortable sleep in any position, including lying on their side. However, because most seats do not recline fully, sleeping on the back is most practical. One problem with sleeping on the back in a partially-reclined position is that the body has a tendency to slump to the side, causing discomfort.
There are a number of already existing devices that are intended to aid in providing support for sleeping while seated in an upright seated position. Some such devices are intended to, for example, support the person's neck, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,049 to Perron, U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,691 to Monti, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,691 to Cordova. Other such devices attempt to support various parts of the body, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,367 to Dinnan and U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,860 to Cuddy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,860 to Cuddy U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,367 to Dinnan discloses an apparatus for supporting the head of user while the user is lying in a face-down position, a face-up position or a side position. The apparatus includes a head cradle with ventilation and a pair of elongated dependent arms that can be manipulated to serve as a chest support, or a neck support or a head support, depending on how the user is lying. This apparatus does not teach a U-shaped collar and is not suitable to support the body in a seated position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,367 to Dinnan discloses a vehicle seat pad having a first head support and a second head support that are adjustably attached to an upper portion of an elongated pad. Leg support is provided at a lower portion of the elongated pad, by positioning a portion of the elongated pad over another portion of elongated pad. Pillows may inserted in pockets in the elongated pad to provide additional leg support or to provide additional head support. The elongated pad may be rolled, with straps provided to allow the device to be carried on the back. This apparatus does not teach side arms that cradle the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,854 to Brownrigg discloses a pillow designed to support various portions of the body, either in the prone or sitting position. The preferred embodiment primarily comprises a singular hollow flexible tube filled with a malleable substance, allowing flexibility at all points along the tube, and having sufficient firmness to provide support for the desired portion of the body. This apparatus does not teach any structural neck support.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,848 to Kelly discloses a body support pillow stuffed with a resilient deformable filler, having a U-shaped central section and depending legs, the pillow having a center opening equal to the body width of a user. In a first embodiment, the pillow's total length is substantially equal to the height of a user, and the legs are selectively foldable over one another to create a double thickness for additional support under the user's knees, with a detachable body-encircling strap securing the pillow about the user. In a second embodiment for use in a chair, the legs support the arms of a user, and may be raised by rotating them 90 degrees. In a third embodiment, the interior of the pillow is divided by sewn-in baffles into three separately stuffable compartments, all accessible through a single continuous zipper opening. None of the foregoing embodiments teach a collar member for supporting the head and neck.
U.S. Pat. No. D420,845 to Rumage discloses an ornamental design for a neck support pillow having a substantially U-shaped configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,351 to Ive discloses a support adjustable pillow adapted to engage an infant's head, neck and shoulders in order to provide lateral stability to the infant's head and neck. The support article broadly comprises a pad having a first surface upon which the infant can be placed in a reposed position and an opposite second surface. An upstanding support pillow is secured to the pad and includes a central portion extending in an arcuate configuration around a region that is sized and adapted to receive the infant's head and a pair of end portions disposed on opposite ends of the central portion. The end portions project in laterally outward directions from one another to define shoulder supports that are positioned against the infant's shoulders, when the infant's head is received around the region. The central portion and the end portions provide stability to the head and neck during use. First and second pairs of cooperative fasteners may be provided so that the support article is adjustable in order to accommodate the size of the infant as he/she grows.
U.S. Pat. No. D376,503 to Petersson discloses an ornamental design for a cushion having a substantially U-shaped configuration and a larger neck and head support area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,282 to Jeffries discloses child's bedding having a flat, generally rectangular blanket portion. A pair of spaced-apart straps are attached to the top edge of the blanket. The straps are adjustable both vertically as well as laterally. A plurality of fasteners permit alternate rows of fasteners to be engaged, thereby allowing the bedding to adjust to different size children. A sewn-in pleat further adds to adjustability by allowing the bedding to be lengthened. Fasteners at the bottom of the bedding provide warmth and keep the child from kicking off the bedding. Lastly, a centrally disposed fastener provides a means to secure the child in a maximum vertical position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,048 to Varaney discloses a pillow having a central head supporting portion with two extension portions, substantially perpendicular to the central portion, providing a sleeper-encircling pillow incorporating built-in arm rests and blanket or sheet slip-prevention means. In the preferred embodiment, the pillow comprises a substantially uniform cross-sectional area throughout its entire length, with easily accessible, firm, supportive filler material disposed within an enclosing cover in order to allow the amount of filler material to be adjustable to one's particular needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,017,221 to Emery discloses a head and neck support pillow.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,802 to Myers discloses a pillow having a substantially U-shaped configuration.
Japanese Pat. No. JP 2002238704 to Miyazaki discloses a cover for a chair for lessening the fatigue in seating for a long time. The seat cover is designed to be put on a seat of a vehicle and is provided with a low-repulsion cushion near a segment where the back of a person sitting on the seat is located, and a padded backrest section of the seat located apart, when the person sits on the seat, and a low-repulsion cushion near a segment where the neck of the person sitting on the seat and the head rest of the seat are located apart respectively. Titanium worked to the prescribed shapes is incorporated into these low-repulsion cushions. Shoulder straps for covering portions of the shoulder and chest of the person sitting on the seat are integrally formed at the seat cover, so as to be made continuous with a padded backrest cover section.
Although there are known devices that are intended to aid in supporting a person's neck and/or various other parts of the body of a person, while in a seated position, one problem with the prior art devices is that these devices are not well-suited for keeping the person from slumping to one side, or for supporting the head and neck. Thus, the known devices do not allow the passenger to be comfortable and secure, while sleeping in a seated position.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a personal support device that keeps the wearer from slumping to one side, while supporting the head and neck, and allowing a passenger seated in a vehicle to be comfortable and secure, while sleeping in a seated position.